Few NFL teams faced the read-option more last season than the Atlanta Falcons. Few teams struggled more consistently against it.

Cam Newton had two of his best games of the year moving the ball up and down the field against Atlanta, averaging 29 points in two games. The Falcons did a solid job against the Washington Redskins in the regular season, but the Falcons struggled to get stops in the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.

Like so many NFL teams this offseason, the Falcons now are looking for help from the college game. The Falcons' defensive staff recently spent a day at Clemson University to get some help.

"[The Falcons] are trying to learn more about what we do and how we defend what we do," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told the media on Monday, via the Atlanta Journal-Constition. "Yet, we were able to take a lot from them as well. I'd be surprised if there's an NFL team that hasn't gone and spent time with college coaches this offseason."

The Falcons will face the 49ers, Seahawks and Panthers twice next season. Coach Mike Smith wants to be more prepared.

"I know that our coaching staff is going to spend a whole lot of time on it because it could be the wave of the future," Smith said. "I'm not saying that it will be, but that it could be."

Like any schematic trend, the read-option isn't simply going to stay the same from year to year. The Falcons will have to be ready for what comes next. NFL defenses still should be more prepared this time around.

Not really sure why they would go to Clemson. Against Ga Tech, sure they won the game, but it wasn't because of their defense which gave up almost 500 yards and 31 points to the Jackets. Other teams, such as BYU fared much better against Tech's offense. UGA shut it down completely. Clemson? Just don't get it.

Its always gonna be tough beating our rivals. That's the way of the NFC South.

That said SF beat us with a pretty traditional offensive game plan.

Did they really "beat" us though?

A beating would have been losing by a couple+ TD's, IMO.

How often does Matt fumble a shotgun snap? How often does HD trip over nothing and fall down on a for sure TD reception?

I mean we didn't get beat in that game. Two mishaps that never freaking happen actually not happening, and we're not having this discussion.

We had a team capable of going to a SB last year, period. And even though we've let Abe and Dunta go, we still have a better offense now and honestly our defense isn't any worse considering Abe was virtually non-existent in the playoffs and Dunta was simply an average CB at best.

If we get Osi and draft well on defense, we've just improved a team that was already capable of going to a SB.

Not really sure why they would go to Clemson. Against Ga Tech, sure they won the game, but it wasn't because of their defense which gave up almost 500 yards and 31 points to the Jackets. Other teams, such as BYU fared much better against Tech's offense. UGA shut it down completely. Clemson? Just don't get it.

Clemson ran a read option with Tajh Boyd and they broke just about every known offensive college record there is.

They are going to learn how to defend it. This has nothing to do with GT's triple-option junk. They are 2 different offenses.

Clemson ran a read option with Tajh Boyd and they broke just about every known offensive college record there is.

They are going to learn how to defend it. This has nothing to do with GT's triple-option junk. They are 2 different offenses.

Not really. First, there is no magic formula. Second, Techs offense is way more similar to the shotgun read option than you realize. Run the same option play out of the shotgun as under center and see what I mean. After watching and studying option offense the key to beat it is........ getting off of blocks and tackling well. Sure you have to play sound assignment football, and there are play calls you can do to help, but it comes back to the previous statement. Generally the only time Tech struggled to move the ball in the run game is when they play teams with a really talented front seven that are also known for playing smart sound football. But then again I just described Alabama and Georgia Southern has scored as many points on bama as anybody the last few years.

They went to the coach, not the college players. Just because a coach knows what to do does not mean the players can execute it.

They went to pick Clemson's coaching brains for one day, not devote their whole scheme to his ideas. I am pretty sure this will not be the only effort they put into coming up with fresh ideas outside the room. Would not surprise me if they didn't visit with 5-6 teams this offseason to get different perspectives to then combine and formulate their plan from.